In this moment, I am happy
by NoiseWire
Summary: The proud clan of Kazham was not always so proud; the night the Yagudo came for the Cheiftainess, they slaughtered Vana'diel's children as a warning. One child, only weeks old, left barely alive in her dead mother's hands in the wreckage of her beautiful


Cries of pain issued themselves from an old tree just inside Kazham's gates. An old enourmous relic in Kazham, children use to tell stories of its old trunks holding a curse. Unfortunately, the stories were nothing but fables, meant to keep them away from the elder Siralsalwan-Fomelyra. This suited her just fine. Behind the overhanging cloth separating Siralsalwan from the rest of Kazham, a silver-haired cat-like woman, a race known in Kazham as Mithra, was sprawled on top of a stone altar inside, her body was half-covered in a softened lizard-leather mantle. Her eyes were filled with haunted, maddening exhaustion -- the four-hour labor had been something short of torture. "Siarrral," the woman moaned, "the goddess Vana'diel has blessed me with another child, is she healthy? Is she fit for the coming weeks?" the silver-haired mithra could hardly open her mouth again before the need to breathe overwhelmed her.

Siralsalwan sat in the corner of the tree-hut, patience and sympathy lining her face when she looked to answer the female's question. The mithra sat up violently and cast her blue eyes on Siralsalwan, the exhaustion was replaced with rage, and desperation. "Tell me my child is well! Siralsalwan-Fomelyra, elderrr of the village of Kazham and advisor to the cheiftainess! Answer my question or I will tear you apart with my bare hands!", Siralsalwan looked shocked, Mifalriazaf Rrawhyah had been close to death on her first birth, and her maddening state of exhaustion and pain had caused her to lash out at her child. This, by law, rendered her unable to raise her child. Siralsalwan had not believed this was Mifalriazaf's fault. She believed that because it was not a part of the Kazham clan, eternally bound to the Cheiftainess and the power she carried that helped deliver the child. That maddness had taken over Mifalriazaf. The display that Mifalriazaf had acted upon moments ago made her rethink what she was about to tell the beast before her.

Siralsalwan put these thoughts out of her head and began to stand up. She felt a twinge of regret for having even considered the possibility that Mifalria had been doing anything but acting upon instinct laced with the clan outsider's madness. "Brrrave warrior Mifalriazaf Rrawhyah of the Kazham expeditionary force, your child is well, healthy, and happy. She is beautiful, and will prrrotect, guard, and keep the blood of the Clan of Kazham pure, strong, and live the fullest of the life that Vana'diel gives us. Concerning the beastmen slowly making their way toward Kazham? She will be vulnerable. She will not be more than a yearrr of age, and hardly ready to fight. Expect that this child is doomed, Mifalria, like the rest of us."

Mifalria's eyes slowly shut, tears rolled down her cheek. "I thank you, Siralsalwan. Merodirri Zaf-Rrawhyah is the name of my kin and I, it is a strong name, and I would love nothing more than for you to give it to her. Please forgive my --" With that, Mifalrazaf collapsed on the stone altar, and began her recovery.

-----

Weeks later Mifalria awoke in her own shamble of blankets, well aware of the sounds that caused a racket around her. "Merodirri, do you hear that? Those're the sounds of your clan. The ones you are to protect, after Vana'diel, of courrrse." she talked playfully to her newborn child. The loss of her first child, Ferratha Zaf-Rrawhyah, had been nothing short of death for her. Ferratha was a strong child, and had lived through the scars her mother left across her belly. The elders, afraid of such a child taking revenge for the scars that lined her breast, and her mother's lack of maternal instincts, assigned the child the task of exploring the outer regions; to take after her mother, in a rendition of their Expeditionary Force. In reality, it was an excuse to outcast Ferratha, and give her mother comfort to keep her from seeking just the same. Mifalria was a zealot to Kazham, and never questioned their authority or decisions. She accepted Ferratha's leaving as an honor. 

Mifalria picked up her kitten, she mused over a small piece of leather over her child's forehead with her name on it, and held her in front of her. "You're beautiful, strong, brilliant, and everrrr connected to Vana'diel. One day, Merodirri, you'd make a wonderful cheiftainess.." Mifalria's thoughts were lost abruptly when the screams of her clan ripped through her like a dagger. "W.. what is this? They.. they can't be herrre!", she looked nervously from the side of her hut to the door. "But.. I can smell them..", this she managed to sputter out before the smell of smoke overwhelmed her. Instinctively she leapt toward Merodirri, as flames burst from her doorway.

-----

A huge figure lurked over a half charred boat dock. This figure seemed to be a humanoid, a large hulking man, with huge arms, legs, and a tail. His torso was the size of half of the shacks he stood next to, and his face, a mixture of neatly cut hair, and an obviously travel-tried beard. A Galka, as they were known in this modern day and age, and a monster in the once proud clan left in ruins that he stood in. Well equipped with the rarest of the monk armor, relic, and his large blue-clawed avengers, he began to looks slowly toward the ground. A seemingly a detached brute - a very uncharacteristic emotion of pity and remorse lined his face. He stepped aside and a very small, but very beautiful hume woman could be seen cowering behind him. Her very straight red hair seemed to have been tamed earlier that day, small curls around her forehead and ears proved that it was obviously less tame on her off hours. Her bright green eyes sparkled with coming tears, and her frail, milky white frame shook with a torrent of convulsive jerks inside it's pale-pink coral dress, brought on by extreme shock. He turned toward her, his remorse and pity now gone, and sputtered out as best he could, "Alielle, get back on the airship." She stared wide-eyed at the wreckage that was once the mithran clan of Kazham. "W.. what about Ferra? .. Shark, we can't leave..", "Alielle!" the Galkan man made her jump back at the sound of his voice, and she straightened immediately - the tears that lined her eyes were now gone, "If you do not get on that ship, you will die. If you die, I will be held responsible for killing the only competent Alchemist in Bastok, and Windurst's finest hume magician and Bastokan representative's wife. Get on the ship." She sputtered, but could not get the words out, and turned toward the door of the small scarlet airship. "S.. Shark? What is she going to do..? I can't raise Ferratha.." The Galkan man sighed.

"Alielle, some people underestimate what power they hold. Especially humes." he managed a smile, it looked awkward on his face, but Alielle had come to recognize it after the years he had protected her. "I've seen Bastok grow in all my years of life. My brethren have proven our worth. We're certain of our limits. You humes, though, you don't have large fists, or the strength that we do. Everything you have, as far as basic nature goes, is here.." he pointed to her forehead, and began to walk off of the dock. Alielle smiled, she knew he wasn't a rarab by any means, that he had killed many living things in his time, and that this incident would never repeat itself.

Alielle stumbled back on to the airship, through a blue door. The cabin was basic, with a few crates of food, and many flasks of water. A rather modest looking man sat in the corner, a small child was nestled in his lap, obviously sound asleep, "Filnor.. something has happened in Kazham.." the man immediately straightened. He was built relatively well, with a thin, pale frame. His long black locks made his blue eyes stand out as clear as the sky. He wore small round spectacles over these beautiful eyes, and dulled the impression that they gave off. The long dark green robe he wore had the signa of the proud city of Windurst on the front sash. "Alie..what is it? What's happened?" the man scoweled in concern, and looked from the small sleeping child, now obviously bearing a tail and purring contentedly, to the woman. "Alie, the Jeunoians told us that.."   
"Filnor, the Jeunoians lied to us."  
"What? B.. but Aldo.."  
"It wasn't him. It was the head of transportation, the Tenshoodo wouldn't do this to us."   
Alielle's fists were clenched in a feeble ball and she was shaking violently. Filnor got up silently, and hugged her close.   
"Listen, Alie, it's going to be okay. I'll 'port over, and bring some help back. In the meantime, do what Shark Bite says, I know how deep your defiance runs."  
He winked, and vanished


End file.
